Boris Johnson was today accused of lying to the culture secretary, Ben Bradshaw, in an attempt to install a close former media ally as the head of Arts Council London.

Labour London assembly member John Biggs said a letter sent by Johnson to Bradshaw asking that Veronica Wadley, a former editor of the London Evening Standard, be made chair of the body had been misleading in claiming that Wadley had received Johnson's nomination "following a two-stage interview process" and failing to mention that Wadley had been rejected at the first stage.